Yes, he Didi! Shortstop's two homers power Yankees to ALCS

Andrew Marchand is a senior writer for ESPNNewYork. He also regularly contributes to SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight, ESPNews, ESPN New York 98.7 FM and ESPN Radio. He joined ESPN in 2007 after nine years at the New York Post. Follow Andrew on Twitter »

CLEVELAND -- Didi Gregorius would never go with the storyline. In the spring of 2015, he was the new shortstop of the New York Yankees, succeeding the guy who held the job the previous 19 years. Still, Gregorius would never say he was replacing Derek Jeter. He claimed he was just going to be himself.

In the winner-take-all Game 5 of the American League Division Series, Gregorius replaced Jeter. His two homers for the ages in the first three innings chased Corey Kluber and provided the Yankees with the runs they needed to advance to the American League Championship Series with a 5-2 win over the Cleveland Indians. They overcame a two-games-to-none deficit and eliminated the defending AL champions, who were the hottest team entering the postseason.

Next, the Yankees will face the Astros in Houston beginning Friday, with the winner of the best-of-seven ALCS going to the World Series. Gregorius will arrive in the next round further cemented as Jeter's heir.

"That question never gets old," Gregorius said. "To be honest, I mean, it was just after he played his long, successful career here in New York, I'm the guy to follow him."

By taking over Game 5, Gregorius saved his manager, Joe Girardi, from infamy and perhaps his job. Girardi's bad Game 2 decisions will never leave his résumé, but now they won't leave an indelible mark. Gregorius' game will also allow Aaron Judge, who struck out a record 16 times in 20 at-bats in the ALDS, another chance in the ALCS.

Even Reggie Jackson himself pulled out his phone during the game and texted his friends Franco Harris and Rick Hendrick to say, "There is a new Mr. October."

Gregorius is not considered a Baby Bomber, but he is just 27, two years older than Judge. Gregorius hit 25 home runs in the regular season, a number Jeter never reached. He is a better defender than Jeter ever was.

In the fifth inning of Game 5, he ended a rally by niftily handling a grounder toward the middle, stepping on second and rifling to first to double up the speedy Francisco Lindor. It was the most important defensive play of the game.

To start, CC Sabathia didn't need much help. He pitched only 4⅓ innings, but he did enough. Sabathia was unhittable until he wasn't. After being perfect through three, Sabathia gave up a single in the fourth but retired three straight after that. Dating to Game 2 -- when Girardi took Sabathia out prematurely -- Sabathia had retired 23 of 25 Indians, giving up only a single and a walk.

In the fifth, he unraveled, allowing four consecutive hits and two runs. David Robertson, with the assist from Gregorius, cleaned up the mess, and the Yankees remained up a run after five innings. Robertson got the game to the eighth and handed the ball to Aroldis Chapman, who took care of the final six outs.

Didi Gregorius celebrates his second homer of the night to help eliminate the Indians. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Gregorius, however, is the reason the Yankees are going to the ALCS. The Yankees homed in on Gregorius during Jeter's final season in 2014. Gregorius had already bounced around a little, having played for the Reds and Diamondbacks. That's when Yankees super scout Tim Naerhing thought he could be special, even though Gregorius wasn't playing every day for Arizona.